Upper Wolf River Falls

Summary: Finding this waterall is quite the adventure, but
if you are in the area and have the time, seek it out.

The Upper Wolf River Falls is in a remote location outside
of the small town of Dorion, along Highway 17. It is a pretty
waterfall, and one of the few real plunge waterfalls in the
entire Lake Superior watershed area.

There are no signs leading to this waterfall, and it does
not appear to be well known even among the locals.
A picture of it does show up in a Lake Superior Circle Tour
guide book, but there are no directions.
To get to there from 17, take Fish Hatchery Road west.
This is a good dirt road, so you can take a normal car on it
with little worry. Follow Fish Hatchery Road for 4 miles. There
will be three right turns, but the road signs clearly indicate
which road is Fish Hatchery Road.

After 4 miles, take a right onto Wolf Lake Road. The road
becomes a little rougher, but you will still be able to make good time.
This is a logging road, but I do not know how active it is.
Follow this road for 12 miles. You will pass
Wolf Lake,
and cross three bridges. Right after the third bridge (which
crosses the Upper Wolf River), take
the "road" to the right. This is a simple two track, but it
is in surprisingly good condition. Follow this for 1.4 miles
(If you go down a hill and reach the
Beaver Dam,
you have gone too far).
The "trailhead" is at a point where the road bends to the left.
The road is wider at this point, and there is space to park on the
right. There are no signs (we left one behind, but apparently
it did not survive).

The trail is to your right, and goes down to the rim of the gorge. When
you reach the rim, take a left.
After at most a 1/2 mile, you will see a spot where
people have descended into the gorge. It is a steep, natural
stairway. This only gets you part of the way down. The trail
continues to the left and right. The right will lead you to
the top of the falls. The left will lead you to a simple
wooden ladder and some ropes
that will help you make your descent into the gorge. This
is not trivial, but does not require any extraordinary skill.

Once you are at the base of the falls, you can walk right up
to them, or even behind them if you are willing to get wet.
You will likely have this waterfall all to yourself, so enjoy.

I have been informed by a visitor with a GPS device
that the location of the falls is
48° 54.611' N, 088° 46.641' W.
The trail head is at 48°54.725' N, 088°46.762' W,
and the last bridge is at at 48°55.053' N, 088° 47.950' W.

This is one of the more adventurous and remote stops on the
Lake Superior WaterFall Tour.
The "Upper" refers to the river, not the falls.
The Geographical Names of Canada lists an Upper and Lower
Falls both downstream of Wolf Lake on the Wolf River.
They are only about 4 miles west of Highway 11/17 and
from the looks of it, Fish Hatchery Road will take you very close
to these falls, but I have no idea if they are on public
land or if they are worth visiting. There is also
a Venice Falls, which is also located on the Wolf River
where it enters Venice Lake.

Photo Gallery

August 14, 2003

August 14, 2003

August 14, 2003

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